


Let Me Take You Out Tonight

by Connork1000



Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Android Politics, Anti-Android Sentiments (Detroit: Become Human), Hank Anderson is Bad at Feelings, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Paparazzi, Post-Pacifist Best Ending (Detroit: Become Human), Relationship Outing, Secret Relationship
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-12
Updated: 2021-01-12
Packaged: 2021-03-16 05:54:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,006
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28701762
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Connork1000/pseuds/Connork1000
Summary: Connor and Markus have been keeping their relationship under the radar to avoid unwanted media speculation for over a month now, but an unfortunate slip up may tear their privacy down sooner than they expected.Meanwhile, all Markus wants is to be able to take Connor out on one of their rare evenings off.
Relationships: Connor/Markus (Detroit: Become Human)
Comments: 5
Kudos: 49





	Let Me Take You Out Tonight

**Author's Note:**

  * For [FriendlyNeighbourhoodWriter](https://archiveofourown.org/users/FriendlyNeighbourhoodWriter/gifts).



> Happy Secret Santa! 
> 
> Traditionally one would present a gift completed and in one piece, but hey, I re-started this whole thing just a few days ago, Christmas was a whole seventeen days ago and the deadline for this fic was yesterday so let's throw tradition out the window.

“It’ll be a short one, I promise” assured Markus “Senator Williams goes around in circles with the same three arguments in every single debate he’s a part of, I can even sense the humans beginning to get bored of him.”  
Connor chuckled at the RK200s remark as he finished doing up the buttons on his navy shirt while recalling the last debate in which the man was in attendance. He had indeed insisted on continuously spouting out the most common threads of anti-android sentiments that circulated social media. Which may have been successful in rallying human distrust towards their kind in the beginning but by this point Markus had become so adept at responding to the mans repetitive arguments that it was beginning to have the opposite effect entirely.

It also had the secondary effect of cutting the average meeting time down by entire _hours._ The more reasonable of the human representatives had finally begun wrapping up talks in which their more conservative peers such as Mr. Williams were in attendance early, instead of letting them be dragged out for far longer than necessary by circular, uncompromising arguments. Thus Connor found himself in the extremely rare occurrence of actually being _pleased_ that such a man was scheduled to attend today as - if everything goes as his software predicts it will (and it almost always does) - he and Markus will find themselves in the almost unheard-of position of having an entire evening to themselves from 6pm onwards. 

“You still haven’t told me where you’re taking me this evening” The RK800 probed, faux casually while finishing his top button and adjusting the neckline of his shirt despite it being collarless (old habits die hard after all).

“If I told you that Connor then it wouldn’t be a very good surprise would it?” The android on the bed rolls his eyes. They had been through this conversation more times than he could count in the past week since Markus had first brought up the topic- and for an android that was an impressively high number. It was almost enough to make the RK200 regret suggesting their outing in the first place. Almost.

“You know I hate surprises” Counters Connor, petulance creeping into his tone despite his best efforts.

Markus just laughed. “Well, maybe I expected you to have figured it out already with those _highly advanced state of the art investigatory, espionage and_ _negotiation_ _protocols_ of yours” He mocked lightly while mimicking the voice of the other perfectly.

The RK800 glared towards his counterpart where he was perched on the end of the bed waiting for him. Already fully dressed and ready to go in a pristine suit and tie.

“You missed out combat protocols from that list Markus, technology has moved on quite a lot since the RK200 was developed, I’d hate to have to lay you flat out on your ass again”

This elicited another, more hearty laugh from the deviant leader as he stood up, grabbing a garment bag from on top of the duvet and handing it to Connor with a flourish. The two of them had bonded early on in their acquaintance by trading blows and sparring at any available opportunity as a means of stress relief and training. Both had been equally surprised at how adept in the art of fighting the other had been. There was unspoken gratitude between them that they had ended up on the same side of their fight against humanity as neither is quite sure who would have actually been the victor in a no holds barred fight for the death if it had come to that. 

Connor accepted the garment bag with a wry smile. Formal dress was apparently a necessary part of Markus’ surprise for the evening, which perplexed the younger android beyond belief. He wasn’t, however, about to show up for his informal seminar with the DPD on android-human relations in a full three-piece suit so had elected to simply get changed afterwards before heading back to Jericho to meet his partner.

The two had been romantically involved now for only one short month but the strong friendship they had already cultivated since the events immediately after the Battle of Detroit had made the transition a seamless one. Neither is quite sure who took the initiative first but what had started one day as nothing more than an average sparring session had somehow escalated into a long, frantic makeout on the floor of an abandoned warehouse, each covered equally in dust, dirt and flecks of thirium.

\----

As they exited Markus’ modest apartment on the outskirts of new Jericho Connor startled slightly as he felt a warm hand slip into his own. He wasn’t unaccustomed to displays of affection from the other android of course, in the privacy of their own respective homes they were in near-constant contact with each other. From small, casual touches that could easily pass as platonic from an outside perspective, to the more passionate moments they shared, usually in the dead of night when they finally had a long enough moment to be truly alone together without the interruptions of their busy schedules. However, affection in public was a different matter altogether. They had decided very early on in their relationship that they would both prefer to keep it under the radar for as long as possible, hoping to have one modicum of privacy in their overly-publicised lives. Though looking around at the deserted, early morning streets of the occupied city and then into the soft, mismatched eyes of the RK200 gazing hopefully towards him, Connor couldn’t help but let himself relax into the confident grip and return the others small grin.

The winter snow crunched softly underfoot as they rounded the corner to where they would find two nondescript black vehicles awaiting their arrival to ferry them off to their respective destinations. Markus gave the others hand a final squeeze before releasing his grasp just before they came into the eye line of their android drivers for the day. He sent Connor a light-hearted quip via network link as he did so. // _Our people are becoming just as bad as the humans for spreading gossip these days//_

 _“"_ Do your algorithms still think I’ll be freed from Williams _riveting_ commentary by six o’clock?” The deviant leader asked aloud while pulling the back door to one of the two cars open.

Connor flashed him a quick grin before executing the same movement on his own ride.

“five forty five actually. Its supposed to snow again this evening, the humans will want to wrap things up even faster so they can beat the traffic.” He dropped into the backseat without another word, hopeful that his prediction would be correct so as to have something to brag about later. He found he quite enjoyed being right about things.

* * *

Connors seminar with the DPD goes about as well as he had expected it to. Half of the members in attendance had listened to his speech on android-human relations and the fair treatment of android kind under the law with rapt attention, fascinated to be in the same room as the ex-police android that had been plastered all over the news for the past year. The other half…had evidently been mandated by their respective precincts to be there and apparently would have rather been anywhere else in the city of Detroit judging by their varying expressions that ranged from bored to outright sneering at the idea of androids being treated as equal under their jurisdiction. Only one, thankfully, had had the audacity to try and openly criticise the RK800 and he had been promptly shut down by the booming voice of one Lieutenant Hank Anderson shouting him down from the back of the room before Connor even had the chance to formulate a response.

As the day came to a close the same Lieutenant sat in his chair as the attendees slowly filed out of the room in a quiet chatter, waiting patiently as the last few stragglers who had hung back to speak to Connor one on one or simply shake his hand to be able to say that they had personally met “that-RK800-from-the-tv” slowly left before finally arising himself to give the android a firm slap on the back. 

“Nice work kid” The gruff man said with a smile that the other returned easily. “I liked the quote at the end there, Caesar or…”

“Cicero” Connor corrected while gathering his belongings “I got the idea from Markus actually, humans tend to react better to your point of view when they hear it summed up by another human, which reminds me I need to thank you for speaking up against Detective O’Neil earlier, I wouldn’t have been able to get away with being so… _colloquial_ with him”

“Hey it’s nothin’” Hank responded, rubbing the back of his neck “…some folks just need to be reminded where they oughta stick their opinion sometimes”

Connor flashed him a wry smile “And in graphic detail apparently”

That elicited a laugh from the lieutenant “Yeah well fuck, when have I ever been one to mince words huh? Hey what else have you got on tonight by the way? You wanna come round and watch the game? I know you’re not much of a sports man, or sports…android” He amended awkwardly “But sumo hasn’t seen you in forever now and he won’t quit asking after you. Think the big lug misses ya”

Connor recognised the admission of _Hank_ missing him for what it really was but didn’t comment on it - being well versed as he was in the human's inability to be emotionally honest with other people. He instead just let it fill him with a warm, familial sensation before he responded to the man.

“I would like that, I really would but I already have plans, sorry.”

“Yeah?” The human raised an eyebrow, interest now piqued and tone becoming low and conspiratorial “What kinda plans?”

“We- _I’m_ going to…out”

“...uh huh”

“I’m going out” Amended the android.

“Where to?”

The lieutenant crossed his arms with a knowing look as Connor paused, weighing his options on what to say before settling on the truth.

“I don’t know. It’s a surprise” He admitted. The man opened his mouth to continue his line of questioning, eyes sparkling with mirth before he was cut off by the androids curt but not unkind “leave it Hank”. And to the man's credit, he did.

Connor was almost certain that Hank knew exactly who he was going out with that evening and exactly why he’d been spending so much time with said individual but for whatever reason, he still found himself compelled to keep their secret from the man. He wasn’t entirely sure _why_ he wanted to do such a thing - he and Markus’ agreement to keep the public in the dark about their relationship didn’t mean he couldn’t tell select close acquaintances if he wanted to. He could easily have told the lieutenant, and he was certain that the man will be thrilled to hear it when he eventually does find out, but there was still a part of him that was not yet ready to part with the first thing that was uniquely and privately _his own_. And the older man seemed to understand that.

“At least let me give you a lift back to New Jericho” The man relented “You can tell that fancy-schmancy driver of yours to get and we can catch up a little on the drive over whaddaya say?”

Connor responded instantly by sending out a ping to his driver - who was doubtlessly less than pleased at having waited around all day for nothing but he could make it up to her…somehow - that he’d be finding his own way back to New Jericho this evening.

“Alright but I need to get changed first”

* * *

Hank raised an eyebrow as Connor stepped out of the DPD bathroom now clad in an expensive-looking three-piece suit. The RK800 would admit that the baroque print on the lapels and the metallic tipped collar might have been _slight_ overkill, but when the leaders of New Jericho had begun to be hesitantly approached by human designers offering their services once positive publicity for their cause was at an all-time high he knew he had to milk it for everything it was worth. And milk it he did.

The android pretended to not notice the questioning look and spun on his heels towards the exit, smoothing down the front of his shirt as he went as a swell of excitement began to swirl in his chest. A serene smile became affixed to the android's face as they made their way through the department's modern-looking corridors, bantering lightly back and forth as they went. He reflected briefly on how absurd this situation would have seemed to him barely over one year ago when he’d still been a machine, hell, barely even a few months ago when he was still struggling to come to terms with the guilt, the regret, the fear and the never-ending vitriol aimed towards himself from the humans, and the suspicions from his own people. A traitor to both sides.

His transition into deviancy had not been an easy one. Or a smooth one. Like a lot of androids, Connor would have benefited from a moment of calm post-deviating, after the storm that had been his life from the moment of activation. Or at the very least he could have used some time to organise his thoughts, learn his feelings and come to terms with what he had been forced to do and who he had been forced to be under Cyberlifes thumb. But that hadn’t been an option. IT hadn't been for any of them.

Still, he felt like he was finally on the verge of his moment of calm now. His moment of _privacy_ to get to reflect on who he is and what he is in _peace,_ and the gentle ribbing he was bouncing back and forth with Hank combined with the still new and developing feelings towards Markus that were swirling around in his plastic shell - devotion, contentment, lust, _love -_ Left him feeling lighter than he can recall feeling in a very long time.

The heavy doors of the buildings side entrance came into view quickly and Connor noted mentally with a furrowed brow that an inordinate amount of muted chatter was being picked up by his audio processors from the other side. The sound only grew as they approached, distinctly composed of human voices yet too garbled and muted to make out clearly through the heavy wooden doors. They were close enough now that even Hank could begin to make it out and he stopped mid-sentence to throw the android at his side a baffled look and half hearted joke about the fire exit being an odd choice of location for the office Christmas party this year. The android gave a faint chuckle in reply, the light, happy feeling of not thirty seconds ago being all of a sudden washed away by a heavy, foreboding growing somewhere within his chest - _is this what humans refer to as “having a bad feeling” about something? Intuition, perhaps?_

He quashed down the spark of anxiety, annoyed at himself for losing that weightless feeling of excitement he had been enjoying and tried to focus on thoughts of he and Markus’ rare evening off together as he pressed the bar of one of the doors to swing it open in one sweeping movement.

It was then that the distant chatter descended into an almighty roar.  
  
”Connor! Over here! Can you confirm the rumours circulating social media today?”  
  
“Connor! Connor! DCN News! What can you tell us about your relationship with Markus?”  
  
“Connor! Aren’t there any worries within the leadership council that your involvement with the RK200 could pose a threat to it?”  
  
”Connor! can you confirm or deny that your motivations in this relationship are political?”  
  
”Connor! Connor! How long have you two been keeping all this under wraps?”  
  
”Connor! What do you have to say to the androids that are worried about you as the deviant hunter being so close to their leader?”  
  
”Connor!”  
  
  
”Connor!”  
  


“Connor!”  
  
  


“Connor!”  
  


_“Connor!”_

“CONNOR!” A large hand wrapping around his bicep snapped the RK800 out of his daze as reporters continued to surge around him, barely kept at bay by the minimal police presence the precinct had evidently sent out upon their arrival. It had been months since Connor had seen this many reporters in one place vying for his attention and their surprise appearance, their surprise _questions_ and their _content_ had made him freeze like the proverbial deer in the headlights.

The hand around his arm began to pull him forwards and through the throng of screaming voices and microphones that were being unceremoniously shoved towards his face. He was distantly aware of the lieutenant's voice trying to shout above them all with calls of “No comment!” and “He ain’t answering any of your goddamn questions” and “Fucking _move it_ already would ya?” as he felt himself being dragged into the DPD parking garage before being gently guided into the passenger seat of Hanks beat-up oldsmobile and then the voices were all together muted by the slam of the car door.

They sit in silence for a beat, Connor staring resolutely forward, awaiting Hanks inevitable questions that would undoubtedly mirror those of the reporters, but they never came. Instead, he was simply met with a gentle “You ok kid?”

“...no.”

Hank signed and squeezed his shoulder briefly, but firmly. Well aware of the issues the android has had with the media in the past.

“We’ll take the other exit outta the garage, it goes straight onto the street, there’ll be less room for those assholes to gather there” The human said as he threw the car into reverse and began the short drive to New Jericho.

Connor spent the majority of the ride back scrolling through hits for his name and model number on various news sites or social media platforms, trying to catch up on what was being reported. Apparently, the deserted street from their morning stroll towards their cars had been less deserted than his initial assessment had suggested and some opportunistic paparazzo had captured an image of the two of them walking hand in hand, Connor looking up towards Markus with an adoring expression on his face.

He knew it shouldn’t bother him as much as it did. That this outing of their relationship and the subsequent media attention was _inevitable_ but it still _hurt_ for some reason. The majority of the attention online was benign, simply focused on the speculation of it all; Are they? Aren’t they? Will they? Won’t they? - The typical gossip-style news that humans loved to consume so obsessively with lovey-dovey, infantilising commentary about how _gosh darn_ _cute_ they look together. But amongst the inane speculation surrounding the photo was a darker undercurrent that his searches would occasionally turn up. The anti-android segments of humanity spewed out their usual cruel and crude words with renewed vigour and venom- putting publicly on display every negative feeling they felt towards the published image and the idea of their relationship, from disgust to absolute hilarity at the concept of it and Connor wasn’t sure which reaction made him feel more uneasy.

But worse than the anti-android commentary from the humans -what made Connor have to actively push down hot, involuntary tears, were the smattering of negative feelings cropping up from the android side. Speculation into Connors _motives_ for their relationship, or into why the deviant _leader_ would ever find interest in the android that was once the deviant _hunter -_ in the one that _hurt their people._ Speculation into whether Connor was truly even a free being at all? and early conspiracies promoting the idea that the hunter was merely trying to get closer to his prey, that Connor was still some sort of Cyberlife puppet. After all this time and all the effort he had put into their cause he was still being reduced to a spy, a plant, a fucking _pawn._

He closed the window on his HUD abruptly after reading one particularly vulgar human comment that left his plasteel skin feeling like it was covered in a thin layer of grime and let out a sigh as he dropped his head to his hands.

“I’m sorry Connor” The lieutenant spoke gently in response to the androids demeanour “You deserve to catch a break from those fuckin’ vultures.”

When he failed to receive a response he spoke again

“We’re almost back kid.”

Sure enough, when the android looked up again he could see the flimsy perimeter gates of New Jericho approaching in the distance, but rather than comfort him like it usually would it just aided in growing the devastating emptiness inside his chest.

Pulling up just outside the gates Hank turned to face the RK800 before he could open the door.

“look uh, just…take care of yourself yeah? You’re not - you don’t deserve this shit, ok? don’t go…don’t start getting back into the habit of thinking you do yeah? And if you need to - if you wanna like, talk? At some point, or whatever”

Connor, despite the gaping hole of anxiety that had settled itself within him, managed to raise a sardonic eyebrow at Hanks rambling.

“Look fuck off you plastic asshole I’m not good at this - _feelings_ shit ok? But the offer stands, you wanna call me up and rant about this bullshit you do it yeah? Agreed?”

“Agreed” he responds with an affirmative nod.

“And once this shit all blows over I’m coming back around and giving Markus the good ol’ hurt-him-and-ill-fuckin-kill-ya talk. Android Jesus or not I don’t give a damn, got it?”

“Got it” Connor mustered a small laugh at Hanks comment, genuinely oddly touched at the sentiment before squaring his shoulders and exiting the vehicle.

* * *

Mercifully Markus’ apartment was only a few short blocks from the perimeter fence of New Jericho. Connor had briefly considered blowing off the other android entirely and escaping back to his own home which was deeper within the compound and not coming out again until his racing thoughts and feelings had settled but the not-so-subtle glances he was receiving from the androids he passed on the sidewalk spurred within him the desire to get the hell off of the street as fast as physically possible.

Markus was already inside the building by the time he arrived back, sat rigidly on the sofa in the middle of the room, feet planted on the floor with his elbows on his knees seemingly lost deep in thought. He looked up with a startle as Connor swung the door open with a stony expression and they locked eyes, both freezing in place, seemingly expecting the other to speak first. The click of the latch echoing through the room seemed to break the brief tension and all at once the RK800s emotionless mask cracked into a pained expression as the RK200 rose from his perch and made his way towards the other, arms already outstretched for an embrace.

“oh Connor…” he said breathily as the younger android collapsed into his grip “I’m sorry Connor, I’m so sorry this is all my fault”

He felt the RK800 shake his head where he had buried it into the crook of Markus’ neck and two pale hands grasped his shoulder blade tighter in response.

“No, no it’s ok it had to happen sometime" Connor mumbled miserably "The press bullshit was inevitable, we both knew that”

“But we could have had better control over it if we had been able to plan a clear statement with Simon, It might have curbed this speculative mess a bit” The deviant leader replied with a desperate tone creeping into his voice while he smoothed a hand down the others back “I shouldn’t have been so careless this morning, I should have been able to control this, they’re being unfair to you”

Connor finally pulled away from the embrace, moving his hands to sides of the other's neck in a gentle grasp and alternating his gaze between mismatched eyes and the floor.

“That was inevitable too, How did you expect the media to react once they realised you were involved with the _deviant hunter_ ” He spat the last two words out as if they were poison, regretting it immediately as Markus flinched slightly, assuming the vitriol was aimed at himself.

“No, no i’m sorry I’m not mad at you Markus I swear” He amended “I’m mad at this whole fucking situation. But I’ll live with it. Twenty-four-hour news cycle remember? It’ll pass, it always passes”  
  


He steps away from the older android and heads towards the bedroom without another word. Feeling thoroughly defeated and wanting nothing more than to curl up under a soft blanket for the rest of the evening and hide. Markus follows him in just as Connor is pulling out a paint-stained set of pyjamas from the chest of drawers and pauses in the doorway.

“Hey no what are those? What are you doing?!”

Connor freezes at the alarmed tone in the voice of the other, looking between the RK200 and the pyjamas with a raised eyebrow and a confused expression.

“I'm getting changed out of this stupid suit and going to bed” The younger android replies slowly as if speaking to a child “What does it look like?”

“But you were right this morning” Markus responds cryptically

“...about?”

“five forty five, you were right, we wrapped up early. Well. At five forty eight actually but even with the stray three minutes I’m still impressed by your accuracy.” He leans his head against the door-frame now, hip cocked and smiling fondly at the RK800 whos face is still creased into a puzzled expression, thoroughly perplexed as to why Markus would think he’d still care at this moment to brag about his prediction software’s capabilities after the day he’s just had.

“Wow, well good for me I guess” comes the sarcastic response “But maybe I should have been channelling my energy this morning into reading paparazzi heat signatures rather than reading the weather report.” Markus’ face falls slightly at the others bitter tone but he still takes two strides forwards and swats Connors hands away from where they are attempting to undo his tie.

“That’s not what I mean” Amends the RK200 while re-adjusting the younger androids neck-tie so it once again sits perfectly centred between the two points of his collar “It's only six-thirty now, we still have our evening. I’m asking you why you’re getting changed when I’m supposed to be taking you out?”

A swell of irritation sweeps over the RK800 at the others clarification.

“You still expect me to want to go out to whatever fancy event you had planned after today?! So we can stand around awkwardly while everyone stares at us and whisper behind our backs?”

“It won’t be like tha…”

“Of course it will!” He exclaims with an uncharacteristic flail of his arms “Have you lost your mind? You have one of the most recognizable faces in the United States - fuck - in the _world_ right now Markus! And by extension so do I! I’m sorry if I’m ruining whatever romantic plan you had set up but I cannot -no, I _will not_ go along with you just so we can be gawked at this evening like a side show attraction. Not tonight, I’m sorry”

Connor returns his hands to his neck-tie only to have them pulled away more gently this time and enveloped between the slightly larger ones of his partner. The RK200 fixes the younger android with a patient and understanding gaze.

“Do you trust me Connor?”

“Im not going Markus I’m…” He is cut off by an insistent tug at his hands as he tries to pull away.

“Connor” The RK200 re-iterates, careful to maintain eye contact. “do. You. Trust. Me?”

The RK800 hesitates to reply, not because he doesn’t know how to respond to the question, but because he is studying the other android in front of him, attempting to parse just where Markus could be trying to take him if he is being insistent on it. Somewhere that won’t currently put him in an uncomfortable situation apparently, of which he is certain the other android would never try to trick him into.

“...yes” He eventually responds with a sceptical look, smoothing down the front of his shirt where Markus had attempted to neaten it moments before. “But I fail to grasp where you could possibly be taking me that would require us to be both dressed like _this_ but also be, presumably, vacant of other people…which it must be I assume or you wouldn’t be pushing me to go”

“You assume correctly” The RK200 replies with a wink “wait, there’s one more thing I need before we go”

And with that the deviant leader exits the room, leaving Connor with an arm full of pyjamas and a weary expression. He releases a heavy sigh as he throws the garments onto the bed somewhat reluctantly. A notification pops up on his HUD from Simon, Jerichos acting PR manager, undoubtedly trying to contact them both in a tizzy about how to respond to the rumours running rampant on social media. He hesitates a moment before dismissing the notification and hesitates another moment before disabling them entirely. If Markus seems to think that the night is salvageable then he’ll try his best to go along with it, media storm be damned. What is the phrase that Hank so often eloquently uses for situations such as this? Ah yes:

_Fuck it._

Earlier feelings of curiosity and excitement are finally beginning to peek out just the smallest amount from between the swirl of hurt and anxiety and he squares his shoulders once again and follows Markus wearily towards the living room.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading and I hope you have enjoyed part one enough to stick around for part two in a couple of days. The softness is coming up next I promise :')


End file.
